Waverly dates to 1853, and 15% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 76% of U.S. towns · #58 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
10 places in town are on the National Register, among them six historic districts with 483 buildings between them. Below: 3 old photos and papers, maps from 1885 on, and the census since 1870.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Waverly is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #58 of 140 in Iowa. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Waverly’s overall grade.
Iowa towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Iowa town has 9.1 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Waverly’s 463 sits above most of its state (100% of Iowa towns have fewer) while its 486 historic buildings outnumber those of 97% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C+ to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±3.2 points). Two sources give 1853.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Waverly’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.
Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
The story so far
Waverly, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Waverly yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Waverly is a city in Bremer County, Iowa, United States. The population was 10,394 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Bremer County and is part of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls metropolitan area. Waverly is situated along the Cedar River and is accessible via the Avenue of the Saints for transportation. The sister city of Waverly is the German city of Eisenach, which is famous for the Wartburg castle. Waverly is the location of Wartburg College, which is named after the castle.
Waverly was established in 1853. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 9,874 to 10,394 (+5%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
From the old history books
What they wrote about Waverly in 1896
Passages that mention Waverly, cut from the printed page as they were published.
They came to Waverly the same year and Mr. B. did an extensive Lusiness tor the Howe Sewing Machine Company, he Leing general agent for this district. Later he became manager of the Waverly Exchange of the Towa Union Telephone Company, of which he is now district superintendent, having charge of 150 miles of wire, with headquarters in Waverly. Mr. Barrows is one
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
1865. For twenty years NUT. Knight was the ‘and most of the brick business blocks, schools and dwelling houses of Waverly were erected by him. Many cities in a radius of 100 milesof Waverly can show handsome and symmetrical buildings that were From 1885 to 1891 he was
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
Waverly, 1852 to 1974
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
Questions about Waverly’s history
What year was Waverly founded?
In 1853, according to Wikidata. Waverly’s post office opened in 1854, and the census of 1870 counted 2,291 people here.
How does Waverly rank for history?
Waverly is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns, #58 of 140 in Iowa. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Waverly?
10 listings: 3 buildings, among them the Waverly House (listed 1976, the first), 6 historic districts with 483 contributing buildings, and 1 structure. 486 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Waverly?
15% of Waverly’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±3.2 points), against a typical 22% for an Iowa town; the median home was built in 1977.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (10), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System, Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress) and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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